Essays on trans, intersex, cis and other persons and topics from a trans perspective.......All human life is here.

This site is the most comprehensive on the web devoted to trans history and biography. Well over 1400 persons worthy of note, both famous and obscure, are discussed in detail, and many more are mentioned in passing.)

There is a detailedIndexarranged by vocation, doctor, activist group etc.

In addition to this most articles have one or more labels at the bottom. Click one to go to similar persons. There is a full list of labels at the bottom of the page. There is also a search box at the top left. Enjoy exploring!

Each year that I do this feature, it gets longer, partly because I know more places to look, but mainly because there is so much going on. Good things, bad things. Political, personal, media. I try to gather them all together at year end.

Organizations

Americas:Exposures Festival, Edmonton. Carol D. Allan discussed her own struggle (and victory) with the Alberta Board of Education in the late1980s to continue teaching and expressed her disgust and disappointment that 20 years later, Jan Buterman (who was himself a part of the packed crowd) finds himself having to take on that same fight. Laine Mandlis’, a PhD student in the University of Alberta’s Department of Sociology spoke about the fight to remove gender identity disorder from the DSM. Lucas Crawford spoke about the complex relationships between identities like queer, trans and fat. Dean Spade spoke about the importance of questioning the social and political imperatives to “document gender” and the relationship between being able to prove one’s gender and citizenship

Rikki Swin Institute. In 2000 the RSI purchased the purchased personal papers of Virginia Prince, Betty Ann Lind, Ariadne Kane, and Merissa Sherrill Lynn, and the next year with much fanfare those attending the IFGE conference were invited to an opening. In 2002, both the RSI and Ms Swin disappeared. The collection is now available as part of the University of Victoria Libraries, Vancouver.

Samapathik Trust, Pune, Maharashtra, opened a beauty salon for trans persons.
TransFemale Association, Thailand, Sister’s Hand Project. Has obtained sponserships from the private sector, and is able to pay for gender surgery.

Arus Pelangi have gone to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) re the murder of Shakira Harahap.

Gender Interactive Alliance explained that while the Pakistani supreme court directed the government to issue third-​gender ID cards in 2009, none have been given out yet. As a result, many transgender citizens lack any identification documents at all.

Trans-Aide accused the French minister for justice, Michel Mercier, of hypocrisy when he confirmed that the state will not recognise a change of gender identity without proof of “irreversible sterilisation”, in that France had supported Council of Europe resolution 1728 the previous year that sterilization was not required. They are continuing their struggle through the French legal system, which is the necessary precursor to taking the issue to the European Court of Human Rights.

TGEU has received significant funding from the Netherlands Government, and also from the Open Society Foundations.

TGEU, Interights and ACCEPT organized a Workshop on Transgender Rights in Central and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union (CEE/fSU). “Recurring issues were absent or defunct gender recognition legislation; lack of knowledge by public officials. Medical specialists play a crucial role but expertise, facilities and treatment are rare. Given deficiency in funding and trans-friendly structures, support through having a trans community is crucial for trans people in the region”.

Equal marriage & civil unions

For a full history of the move towards equal marriage legislation see: http://ukgaynews.org.uk/marriage_timeline.htm. This issue is important for trans people, especially in the US where upon widowhood or divorce, a trans person often finds that s/he has no legal standing.

The changes in what marriage is across time and cultures. Alternet, Nov 4, 2011.
Why rational conservatives would support equal marriage. New Statesman, 23 Sept 2011.

Oceania

Other Legislation, Litigation, other government and corporate actions, etc

UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution 23-19 calling for universal rights for GLB and T persons. The resolution was introduced by South Africa which was accused by Nigeria of “breaking the tradition of African group”.

Americas:

Argentina: - 2010 introduced equal marriages

- Security Ministry is allowing transsexual members of federal police and security forces to be recognized under the gender that they’ve adopted. The new ministry resolution also lets transsexuals wear the uniforms and use the facilities matching their adopted gender.

- by 167 votes against 17 and 7 abstentions, the Argentinian Lower House passed a gender identity bill. Under this law, trans people will be able not only to have access to gender recognition by a simple administrative procedure, without any kind of requirement, but also to hormonal and surgical treatments within the public health system with the only requirement of informed consent. To become a law, the bill has to be ratified next year by the Senate.

Canada: - a bill to add gender identity and gender expression into the Human Rights Act was passed by the House of Commons and was awaiting Senate approval when the election was called, and it died. It has been re-introduced by both an NDP and a Liberal MP, but is opposed by the ruling Conservatives.

Ontario. Despite Liberal Party support for adding gender identity to Canadian Human Rights Act, the governing Liberal Party of Ontario refused Parliamentary time to debate Toby’s Bill which would do the same thing in Ontario.

- London, Ontario: farmers' market that evicted a local candle and incense retailer because she had a transsexual clerk.

- Canada Border Services Agency issued a directive in August telling officers that transsexual and intersexed individuals can choose whether a man or a woman will search them.

Nova Scotia: fingerprinting required for all name changes except marriage, including gender transition and abuse victims.

Chile: the Movement for the Intergration and Liberation of Gay people (MOVILH the Chilean National Health Fund (FONASA) and the Chilean Ministry of Health (MINSAL) agreed a Gender Identity Congruency Protocol. Gender affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies will be like any other vital health service covered by the State.

US:

- Bureau of Prisons. New rules permit a trans person not already on hormones to start taking them, and to live and dress as identity gender.

- Social Security Administration changed its gender notification policy to avoid outing workers to their employers. It had sent 700,000 no-match letters in 2010.

Connecticut: House of Representatives passed a bill to add “gender identity or expression” to its anti-discrimination law.

Illinois: A successful class action lawsuit was filed by the ACLU in that the state of Illinois refuses to change the gender on birth certificates of transsexual people unless they’ve undergone genital surgery.

Cook County,announced new policy of jailing trans prisoners by gender identity rather than by birth sex.

Hawai’i: prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression as a public policy matter and specifically with regard to employment.

Maryland: House passed a bill give trans people protection from discrimination but it was quashed in the senate.

Massachusetts:

-Governor quietly issued an executive order banning discrimination against transgender workers in state government.

- Transgender Equal Rights Act give trans people protection from discrimination in employment, housing and credit, but not ‘public accommodation’

Michigan: Two Republican state representatives introduced a bill Aug. 25
called the "Moral Values Bill" that would ensure no public funds could
be used to pay for sex change operations for prisoners.

Nevada: companies with more than 15 employees cannot discriminate against staff on the basis of their gender identity. They may demand appropriate dress codes and grooming standards for the individual’s preferred gender.

New York State: two trans women and one trans man are suing the city of New York over a requirement that they must have gender reassignment surgery in order to have their birth certificates changed.

Vermont: clear statement in law that surgery is not necessary to update a birth certificate.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) now allows ordination of openly LGBT ministers, elders and deacons.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) “will allow a transgender student athlete to participate in sex-separated sports activities so long as the athlete’s use of hormone therapy is consistent with the NCAA policies and current medical standards.”

Asia:

Hong Kong: while transsexuals can marry as their acquired gender in China, Taiwan and Singapore, they cannot in Hong Kong. This was again confirmed by the High Court.

Malaysia: - High Court Judgein Taiping rejected application to order National Registration Department to alter gender on identity card of trans woman.

- boot camps set up and effeminate Muslim boys sent for physical education and religious classes.

Pakistan: - Supreme Court has ruled that Pakistanis who do not consider themselves to be either male or female should be allowed to choose an alternative sex when they apply for their national identity cards.

- Supreme Court ordered the election commission to collect data from the hijra community and register them as voters.

A court ordered the military on Tuesday to stop labeling transgender people as being mentally ill i

Turkey: Amnesty International report that the government has refused to back laws against discrimination and violence against GLBT persons and has allowed leading politicians to make explicitly homophobic statements.

Europe:

EU:

- adopted a new set of asylum rules that include gender identity as a grounds for persecution. This applies to all EU Member States except the United Kingdom, which previously opted out of EU asylum policies.

- EU parliament voted for Human Rights for gays and trans people. A total of 586 MEPs voted, with 442 in favour, 104 against and 40 abstentions. Text of resolution.

- European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for WHO to stop classifying trans persons as mentally ill.

Germany: Constitutional Court declares compulsory surgeries unconstitutional. The plaintiff, a 62 year old transsexual woman, had acquired the so-called “small solution” with a name change, but not altered the civil status due to the requirement to undergo sterilization surgery. With a still “male” civil status she and her female partner had been denied the right to enter a registered same-sex partnership.

Ireland:

- report published by the Gender Recognition Advisory Group as a precursor to legislation which will be introduced next year. It will be similar to UK law.

- Louise Hannon, of Ireland, was awarded €35,000 after discrimination at her job at First Direct Logistics Limited.

- State paid for 14 sex-change operations over five years, mainly in UK

Italy: 2 law cases in Rome: sterilisation is not to be understood as a mandatory requirement for gender reassignment; a grant of gender reassignment in a case where the applicant eventually decided not to undergo gender reassignment surgery.

Lithuania: proceeds with plans to prohibit ‘medical sex change’. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stresses that the proposal is an explicit infringement of the fundamental human rights, contradicting the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights which includes the right to sexual self-determination, as well as being at variance with the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member states on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.

- Justice Ministry has announced that it will simplify the process for transsexuals.

Netherlands: Human Rights Watch says that Article 28 of the Dutch civil code constitutes a violation of international human rights instruments by making recognition of gender identity conditional on medical intervention.

Portugal: after initial Presidential veto, Parliament confirmed the legislation, the President signed it, and the Gender Identity Law is now in effect. As Portugal has equal marriage laws, no divorce is required. There are no mandatory surgical requirements.

UK:

- coalition government rejected proposals to cover a minority of trans women who are not getting their pensionat the female age, but agreed to look at the matter further.

- New Police and Criminal Act Code of Practice: Annex F: Establishing Gender Of Persons For The Purpose Of Searching.

- West Berkshire: C. The Court of Appeal rules that her Primary Care Trust was entitled to refuse funding for breast implants.

- Equifax: where a person has changed his/her name but not (yet) obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate, both names are displayed to any enquirer about credit ratings.

- England & Wales: National Offender Management Service, Ministry of Justice: New prison guidelines for trans prisoners. Where to place a post-op without a Gender Recognition Certificate, a pre-op or a non-op with a GRC, a seriously committed pre-op etc. This is expected to end trans convicts avoiding prison because it is unclear where to send them.

- Home Office has begun a consultation on allowing an X on passports for trans persons.

- The Justice Minister has announced that the "starting point" for judges sentencing in disability and transgender murder cases was to double from 15 to 30 years.

- Equalities Minister has announced support for transgender pupils in schools, measures to tackle discrimination in accessing public services and greater steps to protect transgender people's privacy, including not having their transgender identity revealed at work without their consent.

Oceania:

Western Australia: two trans men who had been refused recognition as men by the state Gender Reassignment Board appealed and are now recognized.

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About Zagria

I have a social science degree. I spent several years in the 70s doing Gay Lib counselling, and moved on to organizing trans groups. I was rejected by the Clarke Institute (now CAMH) in the mid 1980s, probably because I do not match either of their stereotypes, but was accepted by Russel Reid on our first meeting in late 1987, and had surgery from James Dalrymple some months later. I have mainly worked as an IT consultant. I have been with the same husband for 45 years.